By choosing to post the reply below you agree to the rules you agreed to when joining Sailnet.
Click Here to view those rules.

Message:

Trackback:

Send Trackbacks to (Separate multiple URLs with spaces) :

Post Icons

You may choose an icon for your message from the following list:

No icon

Register Now

In order to be able to post messages on the SailNet Community forums, you must first register. Please enter your desired user name, your email address and other required details in the form below.Please note: After entering 3 characters a list of Usernames already in use will appear and the list will disappear once a valid Username is entered.

User Name:

Password

Please enter a password for your user account. Note that passwords are case-sensitive.

Password:

Confirm Password:

Email Address

Please enter a valid email address for yourself.

Email Address:

Log-in

User Name

Remember Me?

Password

Human Verification

In order to verify that you are a human and not a spam bot, please enter the answer into the following box below based on the instructions contained in the graphic.

Click here to view the posting rules you are bound to when clicking the'Submit Reply' button below

Additional Options

Miscellaneous Options

Automatically parse links in text

Automatically embed media (requires automatic parsing of links in text to be on).

Automatically retrieve titles from external links

Click here to view the posting rules you are bound to when clicking the'Submit Reply' button below

Topic Review (Newest First)

11-05-2010 04:17 PM

hellosailor

"I don't think i'll be able to get the garage or basement that warm! "
Can your rudder fit, mostly, into a metal trash can? If so, brace the rudder in the can, fill with hot water from your sink, use your imagination and find a way to heat up the trash can so the water stays warm. No need to heat up the whole room.

11-04-2010 11:37 PM

scottyt

do a search on emkay he redid his hunter 27 rudder and took lots of pics.

11-04-2010 11:31 PM

niebur

Quote:

Originally Posted by mysticsailor

The heaviest foam US composites has is 16 lb. I read on their web site that for optimum expansion of the foam, the temperature should be warm. They mentioned 80 degrees.I don't think i'll be able to get the garage or basement that warm! Any comments on temperature affecting your application?

thank you both for the pouring tips.

Yes, it was definitely the 16lb foam then.

And yes, it was definitely not 80 degrees. I did try to keep it warmish, maybe it was 70 degrees, dunno. The foam develops quite a bit of heat by itself.

I would not sweat the temperature but of course you wouldn't want to do it in a freezing unheated space either. The stuff has a high heat storage capacity, so even if the space where you do the pouring is not super-warm, if you keep it in a nice cosy room and only bring it out for the pour you should be fine.

Oh, one more tip, this one is important: Go to Home Depot, buy a paint stirrer for your power drill. You have about a minute time to mix each batch, no way you can do this with a wooden paddle or something. I got the one with the plastic vanes; after the foam had hardened on them, you can get it off easily and think about the next batch.

I did at least 10 batches for the rudder. You don't want to pour too much at once for two reasons: one is that the stuff hardens before it fills the volume, and two, because it develops a lot of heat. And there is no harm to have lots of batches (other than that it takes a bit more time): This stuff adheres WONDERFULLY to itself. As well as to anything else

11-04-2010 11:03 PM

donradclife

Take it over to an elderly aunt's house--they usually have the heater cranked up to 80...

11-04-2010 09:20 PM

mysticsailor

The heaviest foam US composites has is 16 lb. I read on their web site that for optimum expansion of the foam, the temperature should be warm. They mentioned 80 degrees.I don't think i'll be able to get the garage or basement that warm! Any comments on temperature affecting your application?

thank you both for the pouring tips.

11-04-2010 08:58 PM

niebur

Quote:

Originally Posted by mysticsailor

I'll be working on repairing the rudder on my Sabre 30 this winter. I can't find any reference on which foam density to use (there is 2lb.,4lb, 8lb) I was thinking of ordering the foam from US composites. My son uses alot of their products when he customizes his jet ski. Looking for your opinions.Thanks!

I did that a few years ago on my Columbia 32, I would think it would be similar for a Sabre 30. I have the original manufacturer's specs and it was the heaviest foam that US Composites offers. I forgot what it was, I seem to remember 15lb but could be wrong; I am positive it was the heaviest (and most expensive) they have. It seemed similar to the original foam that I replaced completely.

And yes, you have to do it in several layers, otherwise you get incomplete filling.

11-04-2010 08:49 PM

GaryHLucas

I just rebuilt the rudder on my Etap 26 which also has a foam filled hull. I dug out the old foam and bought the 4 lb foam to replace it. That foam was very close in density to what came out of the old rudder. The foam in the old rudder was not water logged, despite a big gash in the rudder and it sat on a mooring for 25 years.

I found that you can't foam the rudder in one shot. I put a 3/4" polyethylene tube down into the rudder to about 1/3 from the bottom and poured the foam into that to get it to the bottom past the structural parts of the rudder. Then I pulled it out cleaned it off and put it in about 1/3 of the way from the top and did a second pour. I pulled it out and finished with a third pour.

Hope this helps.

Gary H. Lucas

11-04-2010 08:34 PM

mysticsailor

Foam density/Rudder repair

I'll be working on repairing the rudder on my Sabre 30 this winter. I can't find any reference on which foam density to use (there is 2lb.,4lb, 8lb) I was thinking of ordering the foam from US composites. My son uses alot of their products when he customizes his jet ski. Looking for your opinions.Thanks!